Unlike diverticulosis, which usually needs no treatment, diverticulitis symptoms usually require medical attention.

The kind of treatment you receive for diverticulitis will depend on whether your case is simple or complicated. Simple diverticulitis accounts for about 75 percent of all diverticulitis cases and can usually be treated without surgery.

Complicated diverticulitis accounts for some 25 percent of cases and usually requires surgery.

Home Treatment of Diverticulitis

Diverticulitis occurs when diverticula become inflamed or infected.

If you are generally in good health and the inflammation or infection you are experiencing is not severe, your doctor will likely proceed with these non-surgical, at-home treatments:

Once your symptoms have improved, your doctor may recommend the gradual reintroduction of solid foods into your diet. Most diverticulitis patients are told to follow a high-fiber diet.

Fiber, which is present in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, serves an important role in digestion by softening stool and helping it flow more smoothly through the colon.

A lack of fiber can cause constipation, which makes stools harder and more difficult to pass, putting stress on the colon that may lead to inflammation or infection of diverticula and subsequent bouts of diverticulitis.

The recommended amount of dietary fiber is usually 20 to 35 grams per day. Cereals, grains, fruits, vegetables, and nuts are all good sources of dietary fiber.

Though food is the best source of fiber, if dietary restrictions prevent you from consuming all the fiber you need at meals, your doctor may recommend fiber supplements.

Some doctors may also recommend other supplements, such as glutamine (an amino acid that aids digestion), fish oil (high in omega-3 fatty acids), flaxseed, or probiotics (which help to maintain intestinal health).

You should always consult with your doctor before adding a new supplement to your diet, particularly if you have diverticulitis or other health conditions.

Diverticulitis Surgery

Most people with diverticulitis respond well to non-surgical treatments.

However, about 15 to 30 percent of diverticulitis patients may require surgery, either because they are not responding to treatments or because their condition is complicated by other issues.

Your doctor may also recommend surgery if you have experienced several flare-ups of diverticulitis. Only seven to 35 percent of patients experience recurrent episodes of diverticulitis, according the American Academy of Family Physicians, but those that do may stop responding to antibiotic treatments, which can lead to complications.

Surgery that removes the affected part of your digestive tract can prevent these complications from arising.

Your doctor may ask you to consider elective surgery if you meet the following criteria:

You have had two or more acute attacks of diverticulitis that were successfully treated without surgery.

You have had a single attack of diverticulitis requiring hospitalization, and you are less than 40 years old.

You have had one attack of diverticulitis that resulted in complications such as an abscess, peritonitis, intestinal obstruction or inflammation of the urinary tract.

It’s possible that cancer may also be present in your colon.

If you and your doctor decide that surgery is the best course of action, the following procedures may be considered:

Bowel resection/colectomy: Your surgeon will remove the affected part of your colon and then reconnect the remaining portions of your intestine. In a few cases, the entire colon is removed, a procedure known as a total colectomy.

Percutaneous catheter: An interventional radiologist will use a percutaneous (through the skin) catheter to drain infected and abscessed diverticula. This procedure doesn’t involve the removal of any part of your intestines.

Colostomy: This procedure often accompanies a bowel resection or colectomy. If your intestines are severely inflamed, reconnecting the remaining portions of the bowel after removing the affected portion may not be possible right away. If this is the case, your surgeon will create an opening in your abdominal wall (called a colostomy) and connect the intestine to this opening. A removable bag is then attached to the outside of the hole to collect stool until a resection surgery can be performed. In some cases, resection is not possible because a large portion of the intestine is removed. In these cases, the colostomy is permanent.

Traditionally, surgeons performed bowel resections and colectomies by making one long, vertical incision in a patient's abdomen.

However, surgeons now also perform what is known as a laparoscopic surgery, in which several small incisions are made in the abdomen, usually near the belly button. Instruments and a viewing tube called a laparoscope are then inserted into the abdomen to facilitate the surgery.

Recent studies have shown that laparoscopic surgery may result in better short- and long-term outcomes for patients than traditional open surgery. Recovery times and hospital stays for this procedure may be shorter, allowing patients to return to daily activities sooner after surgery.

However, like any surgical procedure, laparoscopic colectomies and bowel resections are not without risks, and you should speak with your doctor about both the benefits and risks of these procedures before you decide on a course of action.

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